Abstract
TheCaenorhabditis elegansbody axis, like that of other animals, is patterned by the action ofHoxgenes. In order to examine the function of oneC. elegans Hoxgene in depth, we determined the postembryonic expression pattern ofegl-5, theC. elegansmember of theAbdominal-B Hoxgene paralog group, by means of whole-mount staining with a polyclonal antibody. A major site ofegl-5expression and function is in the epithelium joining the posterior digestive tract with the external epidermis. Patterning this region and its derived structures is a conserved function ofAbd-Bparalog group genes in other animals. Cells that initiateegl-5expression during embryogenesis are clustered around the presumptive anus. Expression is initiated postembryonically in four additional mesodermal and ectodermal cell lineages or tissues. Once initiated in a lineage,egl-5expression continues throughout development, suggesting that the action ofegl-5can be regarded as defining a positional cell identity. A variety of cross-regulatory interactions betweenegl-5and the next more anteriorHoxgene,mab-5, help define the expression domains of their respective gene products. In its expression in a localized body region, function as a marker of positional cell identity, and interactions with anotherHoxgene,egl-5resemblesHoxgenes of other animals. This suggests thatC. elegans, in spite of its small cell number and reproducible cell lineages, may not differ greatly from other animals in the way it employsHoxgenes for regional specification during development.
Published Version
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